


Nervous Synergy

by mhunter10



Series: Neathe [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Chatting & Messaging, Cute, Flirting, Happy Mickey, Introspection, M/M, Online Dating, Original Character-centric, Post-Canon, Pre-Slash, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 22:31:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8419714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mhunter10/pseuds/mhunter10
Summary: Mickey and Neathe in the early days, talking in the chat room that starts it all





	

Neathe rings his hands together, concentrating on each slide of his fingers. His palms are sweaty, so he rubs them on his thighs. It’s what his parents call the no-good hours, because that’s the only thing anyone can be up to in the middle of the night. It’s quiet in his apartment. The dishwasher was finished long ago, and some made for tv movie is on mute. He’s been listening to music, trolling the message boards in the hopes he would stumble upon the man from a few nights ago.

A similar name flashes in the corner of his with a message. He’s so desperate, he clicks.

“lookin 4 a good time? you horny baby?”

Of course. Isn’t that the very reason they all were in a gay chat room soliciting like there was no tomorrow?

Another message pops up, less wordy, in fact it’s all dick.

“bet you can’t take all this ;)”

Neathe laughs. It’s funny sometimes, the figurative lengths men go through. He tilts his head and squints. It is nice, though. Definitely not edited. He closes both messages, not feeling up to whatever they were up for. He shifts in his chair, pulls his leg up to rest his arm on his knee. He sighs and pinches his eyes closed to the harsh glow of his laptop.

He was hoping for him again. The mysterious man he’d had a conversation with until he saw sun coming through his windows. They had kept it going effortlessly. Talking on end about nothing and everything, and still not all things. It wasn’t enough. He’d wanted more since then, unable to stop thinking about it or settle for anything else.

Even now, he smiled at his aggressiveness, his stubbornness. It came across clear enough, but not in an unattractive way. He could tell it was genuine, unlike some of the men who merely pretended. But what slipped through it was what drew him in. There was playfulness, uncertainty, and heart behind his words. Neathe couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like his heart might suffocate him if it rose any higher.

Of course, none of it could be true. All of it could have been some easily fabricated facts and stories, thrown out to the first person dumb enough to be caught up by them. It was the internet, after all. But he didn’t want to think like that. At least not when there might still be a chance.

They had shared something. It couldn’t not be real. He needed it to be real, he needed there to be a reason he was fidgeting now with anticipation. If he could will it any harder, it would’ve happened already. His tea has gone cold, but it’s a welcome comfort against the barrage of thoughts running through his head. Some are good, some bad sneak in enough to make him doubt, enough to consider finding what he wants elsewhere. But he’s tired of the fruitless effort of wading through terrible man-child after another.

This has to be something. It feels like it could be his something.

A message. A long-awaited username in a sea of many others.

“come here often?”

Neathe doesn’t hold back his shout, throwing his hands up and clasping them to the heavens and whatever gods he’s supposed to believe in. They come down quickly to cover his mouth in shock. He laughs breathlessly, slowly bringing his fingers to the keys as if they will think of something by the time they reach them. His eyes are blurry in his excitement and he feels lightheaded suddenly. He takes several breaths, hoping to calm himself down before he passes out and utterly ruins this moment. It’s so delicate right now that he needs to choose his words wisely, but he can hardly take it anymore. He is too happy.

“happy you have come” his fingers type his sentiment. His whole body buzzes.

“were you waiting for me?”

Neathe wants to scream YES a million times over. He runs his hands through his hair and down his face, leaning closer to the screen and imagining the other man getting closer for his answer.

“I was. I was nervous you wouldn’t come back” he admits because he doesn’t know how to keep anything to himself anymore.

“me too. I almost didn’t”

Neathe’s heart skips and it feels like he dies in between the missed beats. He wonders what has been going on with this man beyond his reach.

“why did you?” he wants to know

“you”

It makes him die again, but also live even harder than he had been just seconds ago.

Mickey is his something.

Finally. He can feel it.


End file.
